How Do You Deal With Large Projects?

[lucie]

I'm making an afghan for my ex-sil, who was just diagnosed with a recurrance of breast cancer. It's my first afghan and it's going ever soooo slowly! I estimate that at the rate of only about 1ft/week I've got another month or more before it's done. I'm in something of a hurry about it so I'm not working on anything else.

 

So, how do you cope when you've got a project that takes weeks or months to finish? Do you take short breaks to work on something else?

[angieInCA]

I usually have 3 or 4 WIP's going at the same time. One large one like an afghan and then 2 or 3 smaller ones like a purse, scarf or sweater to give myself a break.

 

Sometimes I think I have Crochet ADD. I'm always looking for something new and exciting to make. Which means the BIG projects sometimes have to take a back burner.

[disneypal]

It really depends. I usually have a crochet project and a knitting project going. If I get tired of one, I work on the other. But, if it is something I want to finish by a certian date, then I just work on that project consistently until it is done.

[bettycrackpot]

i agree with angie, i usually have a few things going on at once, something big like an afghan and then a purse or dishcloths or something, just in case i get bored....

 

i hope your SIL is doing ok!

[Knit Happens]

ditto; I usually have a few things going at once to fend off, if any, boredom...that you're on a time frame tho, I would try to do some whenever I could. Last holiday season I was bringing projects to work and getting some done every lunch hour. I estimated I could get 5 rows done in the time allotted, and that I was making progress little by little was encouraging as I too had a deadline to meet. When able, listen to some music or "watch" a show or movie to help pass the time. Honestly, I love to crochet/knit by the t.v. cuz it stops me from snacking! Good luck and I wish you a speedy hook.

[tahlara]

Another tip: commit to a project on certain days until you finish it. For example, I stick to knit on mondays, wednesdays and fridays. Crochet on tuesdays and thursdays and saturdays. Have a day or two off as breaks. I can work on a scarf on mondays, then a blanket on tues and thurs. That way, I will not be bored with a project. I tried to do 30 mins to a hour each time. If there is more spare time and I am not tired, then great.

 

Of course, it depends on the projects I have. It's great to have strips, squares or join as I go where I can put in my big purse. So I can do crochet few stitches/rows while in lines, commuting, work breaks, etc. Then I can assemble it at home later. If the project don't have a deadline, it's okay to take a break for a while. No good to have a burnout when it should be a fun hobby!

[Mandys76]

I just take it one day at a time. I normally only make afghans, and only big enough to fit a king size bed. They have been known to take me up to a year or more....I just do as much as I can, and try not to dwell on the end, otherwise I'll go slower.

[Auntie Kellie]

I do them one stitch at a time

 

Actually, I find if I focus more on the time it's taking me to make it instead of the joy of making something that will be loved, it takes forever for me to finish it. Like everyone else has said, just work on it when you have time and don't worry about your time limit. Just think about how much your ex-SIL will love the blanket while you make it and it will be finished in no time.

 

Hugs and Cookies

Auntie K

[minwifeof4boys]

My g uess is you'll start picking up speed once you learn the rhythm of your piece and the yarn feel etc....I found that out with this kingsize ripple I am doing... it flows now and is going much much faster then when I first started

[Lady_of_Roses]

I find that large/complicated projects take me a very long time! My wrist problems do tend to factor in on how slow it ends up going. I do keep a variety of WIPs going, but mostly I just don't worry about the time it takes for me to make the items. I make them as a hobby after all! If it's a gift, even if it's repetitive and taking a long time, I do find that it's easier to pick up and keep going. The thought of making the person happy makes me focus more on the project than I would on a project I'm simply making with no one in mind.

[Blueat40]

I find that I do get bored (I believe I may also have crochet ADD!!) when i'm making a large project like an afghan so I'll put it aside for a day or so to make a dishcloth or potholder or sometimes just to look at patterns of what I'm planning on doing next. Then I'm usually ready to pick it right back up and go.

 

For me, it's the half way point that makes all the difference. Once I get that done, it's like "oh, I'm finishing it now" and before you know it, it IS finished.

 

Good luck. I'm sure you SIL (did you know that you can divorce a spouse, but not an in-law:think ) will love it and I'll be keeping her in my prayers.

[Afghaniac]

I make almost only afghans, and usually complete one in two to four weeks, depending on the complexity or size. You'll find that with experience, yours, too, will go much faster. Actually, if I'm really enjoying a pattern, it's like a good novel: I hate for it to end.

 

Virtually all of my crocheting is done during evening prime time TV, and if I have to follow a pattern closely, it's only during commercials -- which gives me 20 minutes out of an hour of a drama series (I read somewhere that an hourlong drama is written for 40 minutes of air time these days).

[eebrs]

It depends on if there is a time constraint. At one point I had three afghans going. Two baby blankets and one large blanket. All with deadlines. I focused on the large one during the day (while my husband was gone, since it was a surprise for him) and a baby blanket (for my niece) at night. The second baby blanket (for my daughter) I saved for after the first baby blanket was done. It helped for me to have some variety to switch back and forth, but that doesn't help if you have one big project with a deadline. My largest blanket was done a week late.

[WeTurnItToEleven]

Actually, I just started my first long-term project, so I'm not sure what I do. However, I'm going faster than I would have expected so far, given that I'm a college student. As far as it's going, though, I'm trying my hardest to just stay on the one project. I don't know about anyone else, but when I abandon one for another, I don't go back to the first very easily.

[orangetulipgarden]

Since my large projects (afghans) usually have deadlines as gifts, I tend to think of them as jobs instead of a hobby, and naturally want to do something else. That's when I work on other projects I have going. I end up doing a little of the big project every couple of days, until the deadline nears. That's when I spend hours a day trying to get it finished!

[cgd]

I definitely have crochet ADD, so large projects are a problem for me too. I've shied away from them and had some false starts on afghans. Now I'm doing a cro-hook afghan, but I'm doing in in squares, so that's manageable. I've also ordered 200 Crochet Blocks to design future afghans. Of course, once I do all those squares, I'll have to put them together, which I dread! Next I may have to investigate join-as-you-go afghans . . .

 

I also keep smaller projects going as well, usually 2-3. I wish I were more focused, but I'm 42, so it's not likely to change now

[enrapturelj]

I get bored working on a large project that takes forever too. I will usually have another smaller project going on too to releive the boredom. Sometimes I switch to a totally different craft , jewelry making, flower arranging etc. But set a goal on your large project, X-number of granny squares, rows etc. per night for example. Crochet while watching tv is always good. Slowly but surely it will get done.